The present invention relates generally to communications networks, and relates more particularly to methods for preventing unauthorized access to communications networks.
Conventional communications networks, e.g., networks that carry traffic between a server and one or more authorized users or clients, are often subject to traffic from unauthorized users designed, for example, to gain unauthorized entry to the network or to waste the network's resources in an attempt to deny service to authorized users. Denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, including attempts by unauthorized users to waste system resources such as central processing unit (CPU) time, I/O bandwidth, memory, and the like are increasingly common and are particularly difficult to guard against. It is therefore exceedingly difficult for authentication systems, which authorize network users, to provide access for legitimate users while simultaneously denying access to unauthorized users without expending significant network resources.
Thus, there is a need in the art for a method and apparatus for time-based communications port protection.